Carrying The Flames
by TheDauntlessTribute64
Summary: Follow Talia Eaton, Tris and Tobias Eaton s daughter, through her Aptitude test, Choosing Ceremony, and Initiation. Also, the rest of the group s children, Kalyn, Kyla and Shane, Sean, and Ash. What will they choose? Will they stay in Dauntless? Will they transfer? Will close friends get closer than expected? Secrets will be revealed.Horrible at summaries. I don t own Divergent.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I am not Veronica Roth, therefor I do not own Divergent.**

Chapter 1.

** TRIS` POV**

I wake up with Tobias` arms around me. I shake him and say, "Tobias, we have to wake Talia. Aptitude tests today. We don't want her to be late." He moans and rolls out of bed. Talia is our 16- year old daughter. I am 34 now, and Tobias is 36. We walk into the room and shake Talia awake. "Talia! You're going to be late!" I yell, and she jolts up. "Out." She says cooly. I try to act offended. She laughs before shutting the door and says, "Love you guys." I can`t help but smile.

** TALIA`S POV**

I shut the door and fit myself into a black V- neck T-shirt and dark grey skinny jeans. I straighten my long blond hair. It goes down to my ribs. I add eyeliner and mascara for good measure. I walk out into the kitchen. Mom turns to me and smiles. My brother, Lucas, sits on the couch. He is sipping coffee. Lucas looks a lot like my dad. Same hair, same dark blue eyes, same muscular build. Whereas I have my mother`s blond hair and small features, I have my dad`s dark blue eyes. I quickly eat a muffin and slip on my combat boots. Mom kisses my cheek and says, "Remember Talia, the tests don't have to change you choices." I nod, throw my drawstring backpack over my shoulder, and walk out the door.

**AUTHOR`S NOTE:I know this chapter is short, but i promise the next one with be longer. This was kind of like and Introductory Chapter. I`ll tryt and update soon! By the way, the war never happened.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I am not Veronica Roth, Therefor I do not own Divergent.**

**Chapter 2. TALIA`S POV**

I walk to the Pit to meet my friends Kalyn, Kyla, Shane, Sean, and Ash. I see Shane, Sean and Ash tossing a football and Kalyn and Kyla screaming about something. Ash sees me, smiles, and walks over. I hug him and whisper, "Hey."He returns the hug. Ash and I have been best friends since we were two. I was born a day after him. April 6th (**See what I did there**?). We let go and call the rest of them over. "Alright, guys, let`s promise not to let the rest of us change each other's choices tomorrow at the Choosing Ceremony." They all nod. We run down to the tracks. I swiftly jump on. Then Ash, Kalyn, Shane, Kyla, and Sean follow. I move my 'lucky' knife around between my fingers. It has my nickname engraved on the side. 10. I got that nickname from my parents. We reach the school and jump off.

"Aptitude tests today," I say. Ash nods as we pass through the front doors. My muscles tighten the second we walk in. The atmosphere feels hungry, like every sixteen-year-old is trying to devour as much as they can get of this last day. It is likely that we will not walk these halls again after the Choosing Ceremony- once we choose, our new factions will be responsible for finishing our education.

Our classes are cut in half today, so we will attend all of them before the aptitude tests, which will take place after lunch. "You aren`t worried about what they`ll tell you?" I ask Ash.

We pause at the split in the hallway where he will go one way, toward Basic Math, and I will go the other, toward Faction History. He shrugs and raises his eyebrows at me. "Are you?" I could tell him I haven't really been worried about what the aptitude test will tell me- Abnegation, Candor, Erudite, Amity, or Dauntless?

Instead I shrug. He smiles and says, "Well… I`ll see you later?" I nod and give him a quick hug. The Abnegation stiffen around me. I break away and say, "What, Stiffs?" They seem scared now. Ash laughs. I give them a devilish smile and walk to the Faction History classroom.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3.**

**Disclaimer:I do not own Divergent. I am not Veronica Roth as much as I wish I was.**

The tests begin after lunch. We sit at the long tables in the cafeteria, and the test administers call ten names at a time, one for each testing room. I sit between Ash and Kyla and across from Kalyn, Shane, and Sean. The test administrators are mostly Abnegation volunteers. MY gaze drift from Ash to the other tables. The Abnegation just sit and wait. Practical Stiffs. The Erudite chatter over books and newspapers, in constant pursuit of knowledge.

A group of Amity in red and yellow sit in a circle on the cafeteria floor, playing some kind of hand-slapping game involving a rhyming song. At the table next to them, the Candor make wide gestures with their hands. They appear to be arguing about something, but it must not be serious, because some of them are still smiling.

At the Dauntless table, we are laughing and shouting and playing cards. Kalyn and Kyla`s names are called in the next group, then Shane and Sean. It goes on until only Ash and I have not gone in. We wait about ten minutes, and an Abnegation volunteer speaks the next round of names. Two from Abnegation, two from Erudite, two from Amity, two from Candor, and then: "From DAuntless: Asher Black and Talia Eaton." We walk swiftly through the exit.

Waiting for us outside the cafeteria is a row of ten rooms. They are only used for the aptitude tests, so I have never been in one before. Unlike the other rooms in the school, they are separated, not by glass, but by mirrors. Ash grins at me and mouths, He walks into room 4, and I walk into room 6, where none other than Natalie Prior stands. I ask, my voice raspy. I nod and sit in the chair, clutching the necklace my parents gave me for my 16th birthday. It has two charms: a fiery dauntless faction symbol and a black T with the dauntless manifesto in it. I can only read the manifesto with a magnifying glass. But I don`t have one. "Don`t worry,It doesn`t hurt." I lean back in the chair. Natalie busies herself with the machine on my right. I try to focus on her and not the wires in her hands.

Humming a little, she presses a couple electrodes to my forehead. Natalie presses the next electrode to her own forehead, and attaches a wire to it. She stands behind me. She tugs wires toward her, attaching them to me, to her, and to the machine behind her. Then she passes me a vial of blue liquid.

**"Drink this,"she says. **

**I swallow hard. **

**I press air from my lungs and tip the contents of the vial into my mouth. My eyes close.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

**Disclaimer:Sadly, I do not own Divergent. Veronica Roth does.**

When they open, I am in the school cafeteria again, but all the tables are empty. On the table in front of me, I see two baskets. In one is a hunk of cheese, and in the other is a combat knife.

Behind me, a woman`s voice says, "Choose." I easily pick up both of them. The cafeteria doors swing open, and a vicious dog runs in. It crouches low and creeps toward me, snarling. When it is a few feet away, I throw it the cheese. I only have the knife now, I think to myself.

The dog eats it happily and licks my face. I rub it`s head. A little girl appears a few feet away from the dog and I. She sees the dog and happily screams, "Puppy!" She runs toward the dog. The dog snarls and its lips peel back from his white teeth. She runs faster, and I clutch the knife in my hand. I quickly throw myself onto the dog and slit it`s throat with the knife. It crumples to the floor and disappears. The girl follows.

I blink, and when I open my eyes, I`m on a bus. Sitting beside me is a man reading a newspaper. I can`t see his face. "Do you know this guy?" he asks. He taps the picture on the front page of the newspaper. The headline reads: "Brutal Murderer Finally Apprehended!" In the picture below it is a young man with a plain face and a beard. I feel like I know this man, and I should tell him that I do.

"Well?" I hear anger in his voice. "Do you?"

"He seems familiar," I tell the man. "But I don't know from where." He sets the newspaper down and smiles at me. "Thank you. You just saved me." Saved him? How did I save him?

I blink again, and I`m back in the aptitude test room. Natalie quickly removes the electrodes from our foreheads. She seems panicked. "What`s wrong? Is everything alright?" I ask her. "Yes. I`ll tell you you're results in a minute, and trust me, you won't be expecting this." She replies coolly as she darts out of the room. I bring my knees to my chest and play with my necklace. Natalie comes back a few minutes later, panting. "So, what faction did I get aptitude for?" I`m curious now. She looks me straight in the eye and says, "All of them." My mouth falls open. "What?" I`m not in my seat anymore. "The test was supposed to tell us what to do. It was supposed to tell us where to go!"

"Well that didn't work on you." She snaps. " You are Divergent. You can`t tell a soul in the world about it. You hear me? It`s dangerous. Very Dangerous. "I nod and walk out. I now realize I`m sweating. Ash sits at one of the tables, looking down. I`m close enough to see a tear fall. "Ash? Are you okay?" He looks up, he has been crying. I walk over to him as he stands up and hug him. He returns the hug and says, "We better go." I nod and we walk out of the school and jump on the train. "So, you never answered my question. Are you okay?" I ask him. He smiles and says, "I am now. Are you okay?" I nod. "Time to jump." I say, and we do. I walk to my family`s apartment. I unlock the door and open to find Mom, Dad, Uncle Zeke, and Aunt Shauna sitting on the couch, talking.

"Talia. Are you alright? You're sweating like a dog." Mom says. I shudder at the word 'dog'. I slit it`s throat. I feel horrible. "Yea. I just need some time to think about the Choosing Ceremony tomorrow. Trust me, I really need to think about this." She nods and kisses my forehead. I walk to my room. I slump onto my bed, not bothering to slip under the covers. I bury my face into the pillow. Where would I be happiest?

** Abnegation. Dauntless. Erudite. Amity. Candor.**

** Divergent.**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Divergent. Veronica Roth does. Lucky duck.**

I wake at 7:12 in the morning. I don`t know when I fell asleep last night, but the music still blares from the ear buds I pulled out at around midnight. I lean up in bed, and spot a note at the end of my bed. It reads:

_T-_

_Meet me IN the Chasm at 7:30. I think it`s time I tell you something important. And now. Because I want you to know before we choose._

_Remember Talia, you were made for Dauntless. You're brave, but at the same time, your loving, caring, and selfless at sometimes. You're smart, honest, and beautiful. You have a fiery spirit. Remember, I'm not trying to change your choices when I tell you what I tell you._

_-A_

I get up, stuffing the note in my nightstand drawer. I put on a leather dress with golden studs lining the bottom of the dress ( /look/58463 except not as much cleavage.). I quickly wing my eyeliner and whip on some mascara. I straighten my hair and pull on some black flats and my leather jacket. It has my nickname sewn under the collar. 10. I quickly write a note to Mom and Dad, saying where I am and not to worry, I will be at the Choosing Ceremony.

I walk down into the chasm and spot Ash. He wears a black muscle shirt and dark jeans. I have to admit, he`s pretty built. He smiles at me and says, "Someone`s a little dolled up."

I smile. "Well, I am practically presenting myself to the other factions, not like all of Dauntless know me as the Dauntless prodigies` daughter."

Ash laughs. "Alright let`s get to the point. Do you know who my parents are?"

"No." I reply. "No one does."

"Well, let`s just say that your mom hated my dad and he tried to throw her over the chasm." He says and he looks down, shoves his hands in his pockets, and sighs. I`m in shock. "Peter? But your nothing like him? Your actually smart, and funny, and…" I say the last word coolly. "Amazing. Truly Amazing." He walks toward me and places his forehead on mine. "So, that other thing. I maybe like you?" I smile and give him a 'I feel the same way' look. "So I wanted to ask you out." My smile is twice as big now. I don`t say anything. I just kiss him. He doesn`t hesitate to kiss back.

For a few moments we kiss, deep in the chasm, with the roar of the water around us.. And when we rise, hand in hand, I wonder if he chooses a different faction, will I follow him? Would he follow me?


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter**** 6**_

**_Disclaimer: I do not own__ Divergent._**

I sit with the other 16-year-olds in my faction. Ash sits beside me tensely. On the other side of me is Sean. Then Kyla, Kalyn, and Shane. There are 12 16-year-olds in Dauntless this year. I tune out everyone except my friends' names and the people who transfer to Dauntless.

One girl catches my eye. She's Abnegation. She transferred to Dauntless. Malia Tate, I think her name is. She seems... Different. I hear Kalyn's name. She walks up, looks at her parents and then us, and cits her hand and the blood drifts into the Amity bowl. My heart drops. I intertwine my hand with Ash's. He grips as if to say 'it's alright'.I nod.

Kyla goes up next. She seems nervous. And when she transfers to Abnegation, my heart skips a beat. Ash grips my hand a little tighter and rubs small circles on my knuckles with his thumb. It instantly soothes me. Shane and Sean pick Dauntless.

"Asher Black" Marcus says into the microphone. He gives my hand one last squeeze and walks to the center of the room. He gladly takes the knife, slits his palm, and lets the blood trickle into the Dauntless coals. I can't help but smile. Marcus seems intrigued by this next name. "Talia Eaton." I walk up.

Time is slower even though I know what I'm going to pick. I gladly take the knife from Marcus' hand, glaring at him. He knows why. No one deserved to go through the pain that my dad went through. I walk to the bowls, slit my palm, and run it over the coals. The Dauntless smile, and I walk to the group of Dauntless. I hug Ash and kiss him on the cheek before whispering, "I'll always follow you." He looks up at me, his light green eyes shimmering. He kisses me softly on the lips, and when we break away, he says, "And I'll always lead the way."

We sit down next to each other as he takes my hand. I lean my head on his shoulder. He kisses my forehead and the rest of the Choosing Ceremony is a blur. Next thing I know, were on the train, and almost all the initiates are on. I search for Malia. She's here. Good. We spot the building where we have to jump. "Wait, do we have to jump?" Malia yells. "Yes, we do. By the way, I'm Talia." She smiles. "Malia." Ash takes my hand. "Come on, its time to jump."he says. I nod and we jump, hand in hand.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

**I got the idea of who the mother was from Primrose464!** I do not own Divergent.

We hit the roof of the building with a thump. I grab Malia's hand to steady her, and she smiles at me. "Thank you." She says. I nod and we turn to Max. "Listen up! My name is Max! I am one of the leaders of your new faction!" Max shouts. "Several stories below us is the members' entrance to the compound. The transfers have the pleasure of going first."

** ***Malia's POV*** **

Talia turns to me. "There's a net at the bottom. You'll be caught by one of my parents. I want you to be the first jumper." She says. I nod. A Candor boy shouts, "A Stiff couldn't possibly be the first jumper. That's just crazy." I scowl. I walk to the ledge. I take off my gray robe, revealing a tight gray T-shirt. I ball up the robe and throw it at the Candor boy. It hits him in the stomach and he snarls at me. I turn back to the ledge. I don't think. I just bend my knees and jump. The air howls around me. I find myself laughing and shouting like a true Dauntless. Maybe I have a shot at this. Maybe I could pass initiation. I'm cought in a net. Dozens of hands come up to help me, and I grab one in each hand. They pull me up and over the net. I am greeted by a man with dark hair and deep blue eyes- like Talia's, and a woman with blue-gray eyes and blond hair- like Talia's. "You guys are Talia's parents." I say. They nod. "How do you know?" The woman asks. "She told me that one of you would help me out of the net. And she helped me onto the train."I say coolly. "Well, okay. Name?" The man asks. "Malia." I say without hesitation. "Make the announcement, Four." The woman says. The man- Four- turns to the crowd. "Alright, Six." He says, then yells, "First Jumper- Malia!"The Dauntless cheer. "Welcome to Dauntless, Malia."The woman- Six- says. I dig my hand in my jean pocket and pull out a necklace. It has two charms: The Dauntless symbol, and a black dog tag with the Dauntless manifesto written in italics. I slip out onto my neck. There is a black blur falling into the net, and she jumps out easily. Talia. "Talia!" I say. She runs over. "Hey Malia. Cool necklace. I have one kind of similar." She pulls a necklace out from under her shirt. I smile. It has a Dauntless symbol on one charm and a black T with the Dauntless manifesto written in it on another charm. I am about to say something, but she is already walking toward Four. I follow.

*****Talia's POV*** **

We all stand waiting for Dad to speak."Alright initiates. I'm Four, this is Six, Uriah, and Marlene. We will be your instructors."he says. A Candor boy- Scott- snorts. "Numbers for names? That's just plain weird." He says. Before Mom or Dad can do anything, my fist connects with his jaw. "If I were you, I would keep my smartass comments to myself before I become faction less!" I kick his legs out from under him. "Asshole." I hear cheers from the Dauntless crowd. "Ten! Ten!" They chant. Ten is my nickname. "Oh, so your their daughter? It only makes sense. You wouldn't stand up for them if they weren't." I narrow my eyes at him. "I didn't stand up for them, I stood up for my faction." Then I punch him in the temple, knocking him unconscious. "Scott!" A Candor girl- Kira- yells, shaking him. Uriah lifts Scott off of the floor, smirking at me, and carries him to the infirmary. "Anyway, Marlene and I will be taking the Dauntless-born, and Four and Uriah will be taking the transfers. Dauntless-born, I assume you don't need a tour of the place." Then Mom and I walk to the cafeteria, where the Dauntless cheer when I walk in. "Way to go Ten!" "Alright Talia!"they cheer. I grab a hamburger and a slice of Dauntless cake and sit down. Ash sits beside me, pushing his fork into my cake. "Back off!" I say while swatting his hand away. He laughs.

"Asher? Asher!"an unfamiliar voice yells. Mom snarls like a dog for a minute. Ash goes plaster-pale. "Molly."Mom says. Molly smirks. "Well, if it isn't the Stiff. What happened? Did Four leave you?" Dad comes up and puts his arms around Mom's waist. "No, in fact, I didn't."he says. Molly searches the room and her eyes fall on Ash. He protectively puts his arms around me. "Who's this slut, Asher?" Molly snaps. "Your too good for her. After all, you did come from Peter and I."

Ash face goes red with fury. "You know what, Molly? Your the slut! Talia is amazing! And do you know what's really gonna piss you off?" She looks confused. "Tris and Four are her parents." She punches me in the jaw. "You slut! Your just going to hurt my boy!" Ash goes up and knees her in the gut multiple times. "She's amazing, and I love her." He says firmly, and runs out the cafeteria doors. I run after him, only to be grabbed by the ankle by Molly. I kick her in the temple, knocking her unconscious. I run after Ash. He's leaning over the chasm.

"ASH!"I scream.

**Authors Note: AHHHH I'm so sorry! I just had to put a cliffhanger in there. It will get better I promise! But, on the other hand, you now know who Ash's mother is. Will Talia think that her and his families past will mess up her feeling for him? Will she love him no matter what? REVIEWS PLEASE! NEXT CHAPTER COMING SOON!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Authors Note: I`m so sorry i didn't update sooner! I`m in honors classes so i have lots of homework, and I`ve just been busy actually WRITING this. I wanted to make it long since most of my chapters are short, but anyway, REVIEWS WOULD BE AWESOME! I only get reviews from a couple people and I want to know if all of you like it!So please review!(BTW,Kyla and Sean are dating, and all of the kids except Ash are real friends of mine, and Lucas is supposed to represent my brother, Blade. Also, my name is Megan, but I wanted to use the name Talia for the main character, for what reason I do not** **know.)**

"Why come for me?" He asks. "I'm no use to anyone. No body needs me. And I know, Peter and Molly will come after you. I just... I just need to get away from the world. Forever." I'm hyperventilating because of how close he is. "Ash, you're wrong."I say. "I need you. I always have. Who's been there through my emotional breakdowns? You. Who's comforted me when I needed it most? You. I need you, Ash. I really do."I take a deep breath and walk closer to the railing. "I came for you because," I pull him over and run my thumbs over his cheeks. "I...I love you." He seems taken aback. "And remember, no matter what you do, I'll always follow you. So, if you were to jump into the chasm, I would've jumped too." He wraps me in a hug. "I'll do anything to get to you." I finish softly. He lifts my head, taking my face in his hands, and kisses me. I kiss back almost immediately. We pull away to find almost the entire compound staring at us with 'aww' faces on. I blush, and put my head in the crook of Ash's neck. He smiles, and kisses my head gently. "I'll take you back to my apartment." I nod.

We walk back to Ash's apartment, he has his own because Peter went missing and Molly is supposed to be faction less. I sit down on the couch. He sits next to me. Ash puts and arm around me and I snuggle into him. We don't talk, we don't need to. We don't want to. It would ruin the moment. "Hey, look at me."Ash says, and I look up. My eyes find his light green ones, they still look like an endless meadow to me. He kisses my forehead, then my nose, then both of my cheeks. He finally reaches my lips, and I let the moment consume me.

We spend two or three hours talking and kissing. Ash glances at the clock. 9:50. "You should probably go."he says, yawning. "Can I stay here with you?" I ask, heat rushing to my cheeks. He smiles, and kisses my forehead. "Sure. Do you need one of my T-shirts to sleep in?" I nod. "I'll go get a pair of shorts from my apartment. Its only next door."

"Then why don't you get a shirt too?" He asks.

I smile. "Because I kind of want to sleep in one of yours." This makes him grin. "Okay. But hurry." I nod and step out of the room. I hurry to my apartment. Getting a pair of cotton shorts, a pair of black jean shorts, and a dark red tank top. I shove them in a bag and head out. I walk back to Ash's, and he smiles at me. I drop my bag after pulling the shorts out. He throws me one of his T-shirts. I catch it and walk into the bathroom. I change quickly, combing my hair with the comb I put in my bag. I walk out, and see that Ash is laying in bed, with a pair of sweat pants on. He is shirtless. I jump onto his bed, and he pulls me closer to him. I kiss the hollow of his throat and bury my head in his chest. I still have to admit, he is really built. He absently plays with my hair, constantly tangling his finger into it. "Ash, your going to knot my hair if you keep doing that." I say, and he laughs. "Then perhaps I should do this."he says, and he kisses me softly. When we pull away after a minute, I sigh and say, "I love you, but let's get some sleep." I turn on my side and he wraps his arms around my waist, under my-his- T-shirt. I kiss him goodnight, and we both fall asleep, my hands on his chest, his lips still pressed against my forehead.

**PAGEBREAKPAGEBREAKPAGEBREAKPAGEBREAK****

I wake up to find that Ash is already awake, staring at me. "What?" I ask him, smiling. "Your beautiful, you know that?"he says. "I love you, you know that?" He kisses me and nods. "I better get dressed." He nods and I walk to the bathroom. I change quickly and comb my hair. I walk out. Ash sits on the arm of the couch, holding two muffins. "You...are amazing." I tell him, taking a muffin from his hand and eating it quickly. He smiles. "Then I guess we're both amazing." I give him a slight kiss. "We have training, Ash. We can't skip." I tell him. He nods, finishes his muffin, and pulls on his shoes. I take his hand and we walk to the training room, only to find Mom and Marlene setting up. "Hey." Ash and I say. They turn and wave. "Shooting today, Talia. Where were you last night? You weren't at home." Ash and I's faces turn red. "I...may have stayed...over at...Ash's."I say. "You didn't do it-" Mom starts, but I interrupt her. "God, Mom! No, we didn't!" Ash's face is two shades brighter than before. Marlene chuckles. "Okay, just wondering." Mom says. I bury my head in the crook of Ash's neck. The rest of the initiates come in. All of a sudden, Eric bursts into the room, with Johanna Reyes and Kalyn by his side. "Six, Kalyn's back. Johanna says she's too aggressive to be in Amity so they are sending her back here." He says. "TALIA!" Kalyn screams, and runs over and hugs me. "The screaming, Kalyn. Chill."I say, and she nods and pats my shoulder. "Right. Your so much like Six, Ten." I laugh at the nickname. "Your so much like Christina, Kalyn." A lightbulb must've flicked on in her mind. "Right! I need to go see her! Do you know where she is?" "Her and Will's apartment. Go."Mom says. Kalyn nods and leaves. "Alright guys. We will be shooting guns today. Grab a gun!" I get my hands on the first gun. I quickly load it and turn to the target. I remember when my dad taught me how to shoot a gun when I was 7.

*Flashback*

I stand by the target nervously. Dad stands a few feet away from me, fiddling with two guns. "Dad, won't I learn to shoot a gun if I choose Dauntless when I'm 16?" I ask. "Yes."he says,"You will, but in case there are times where you need the skill before your Choosing Ceremony comes, you'll be ready." I smile at him. He presses a gun to my palm. The cold metal sends a shiver down my spine, but I grip it firmly. "Alright Talia, simple as this. Inhale,"he takes a deep breath."Aim," his eyesight falls on the target, and his gun soon follows. "Exhale," he lets out a breath. "And fire." He squeezes the trigger, and a bullet hole appears in the center of the target. "Okay, Daddy. I got this. I play the steps in my mind.

_ Inhale_. I suck in a breath.

_ Aim._ I aim my gun at the target.

_ Exhale._ I release the breath I was holding.

_ Fire._ I press on the trigger and a bullet hole appears an inch away from center.

"I did it Daddy! I almost hit the center!" I yell, and he wraps me in a hug, the gun clattering to the floor. He moves the hair from my face, kisses my forehead, and says, "Yes, baby girl, you did."

*End of Flashback*

I smile at the memory. My dad and I still shoot, throw knives, and spar in the training room a lot. I play his instructions in my head.

_ Inhale._ I take a deep breath.

_ Aim._ My eyesight focuses on the gun and the target.

_ Exhale._ I release the breath I was holding.

_ Fire._ I squeeze the trigger, and the bullet flies through the center.

I keep shooting for an hour and a half. Sean pokes my shoulder." I need to talk to you. Now."

He pulls me into the hall. "What asshole? I'm trying to train!"

"I'm sorry! I- I'm going to Abnegation."

"What?"

"I've been talking to your grandfather and Marcus Eaton." I tense at the name."They agreed to give me a chance in Abnegation. I'm only going to be with Kyla. I miss her so much. Too much to bear."

"Selfless asses. So your leaving me to bear with Kalyn?"

"You'll have Ash."

"Right, but-"

"No buts! I'm going to Abnegation to be with the girl I love!"

"Fine! Go!"

"I will! And I'm happy to be going!"He runs off. I feel a tear roll down my cheek. The door flies open, Ash running through them. He wraps me into a hug that snaps me out of my daze.

"Shhh... Its alright Talia. What happened?" He asks.

"Not here. Your apartment."

"Okay... Let me talk to your mom first." I nod as he passes me his keys. "Ash, thank you. For always being there for me." He smiles and kisses my forehead. "Always, Talia. Always." And he runs back into the training room. "Always. Always." I say it repeatedly as I walk to Ash's apartment. I open the door and walk to his closet, where I left my bag here. I quickly change. The front door opens and closes, and Ash walks in. He sits beside me on the bed. "Alright, so tell me now?"

"Okay...well, Sean said he's been talking to my grandfather, Andrew Prior, and Marcus Eaton and they agreed to let him go to Abnegation to be with Kyla. We had an argument because I didn't want him to leave." He wraps an arm around me and kisses my cheek.

"Why didn't you want him to leave?"

"Because..." Tears flood my eyes."He's like a brother to me. I lied and said that I needed him to help me with Kalyn, you know, because she's crazy, but I want him to stay. I wanted everyone to stay. I wanted to be that same group of friends we were when we were 5, when we were 10, any age! I just want that back." I can't take it any longer. I bury my face in Ash's chest and cry. "Hey, its okay. Talia, look at me." I look up at him and study his features. He has a spare upper lip and a full lower lip, kind of like my dad. He has light green eyes, and medium length dark brown- almost black- hair. "I know you wanted them all to stay. But remember, people have there own minds, and their own way of making choices." He smiles, and I wrap him into a hug. He kisses me passionately, and leans back onto the bed frame. I run my hands up his neck and through his hair. His hands find my waist, and I lean in closer to him.

Just then, the door bursts open. I fling away from Ash quickly to find Lucas. "What, Lucas?" I ask angrily. "The guys wanted to know if you guys wanted to play Candor or Dauntless, but I guess not..." He slowly backs out. I sit with Ash, my head laying on his chest and his hands on my waist, and sigh. He begins to kiss my neck lightly, but softly. "Ash?"

He lifts his head from my neck and lays his chin on my shoulder. "Talia?"

"I love you. Always."

"I love you too. And I promise, no matter what, I'll try my best to keep you safe from Peter and Molly. I probably should've told you about them."

"Ash, I don't care who your parents are. I love you nonetheless. Remember that."He kisses my cheek. "We should get some sleep." I nod and we lay down. He runs his thumb over my cheek. I lean in and peck him on the lips, and we fall asleep soon after.


	9. Chapter 9

**Ash's POV**

I slowly open my eyes. Talia lays beside me, her head on my chest, soundly asleep. These are times I don't want to end. But unfortunately, her eyes flutter open, and she smiles at me. I smile back and kiss her cheek."We have the weekend away from training." I begin to sit up, but she grabs my forearm and pulls me back down.

"Can we just stay in bed? Just you and me?"

I can't help but smile and press my mouth to hers. Her arms almost instinctively snake up my chest and around my neck. I close the open space between us and deepen the kiss. She pulls away after a couple of minutes. "I meant you. Stay in bed. Its your birthday, remember?" I quickly reach for my phone and check the date. Sure enough, its April 5th. Talia walks into the bathroom and shuts the door.

She walks out a few minutes later, and I my jaw drops to the floor. She is wearing a black long sleeve stretch lace top, a pair of black skinny jeans that hug her thighs, and her black and red high tops. Talia throws on her leather jacket. "I'm going to meet Malia and her new boyfriend, Stiles. See ya!" She gives me a peck on the lips and leaves. I forgot she had the spare key to my apartment. I wonder what she's up to...

** Talia's POV**

Ha. He doesn't suspect a thing. I walk out casually, lightly shutting the door behind me. Before I head down to see Max, I want to go to the tattoo parlor. I open the door and Tori stands there, no customers around.

"Hey Tori,can I get a tattoo?"

"Sure. Sit on down. What do you want?"

"On the back of my neck, I want an infinity symbol with the initials AB in the loops."

She starts,and quickly finishes. "Thanks, Tori!" I break into a full on sprint toward the Leadership Offices. What Ash doesn't know, is that he is going to get the best birthday party ever. "Hello, Talia. How may I help you?" The attendant asks. "Yes, I'm here to see Max?"

"You need me?" Max says, appearing from one of the rooms. I nod. "Come on in."

"So, what have you come to talk to me about?" He asks.

"Yes, I wanted to see if I could use the Pit tonight for a birthday party I'm throwing?"

"Depends. Who's? When?"

"Ash's, 7 pm."

"Sure, that's fine with me."

"Thanks Max!" "No problem kiddo." He smiles as I walk out and head to the Pit.

I get there in less than a minute, and spot Malia by the chasm talking to a guy. I run up to her. "Hey, Max is closing down the Pit so we can decorate and get stuff set up at 6:00. Is that okay?"I say.

"Yeah, its fine. We might as well start shopping now." "Alright then where do we start? Decorations, Cake? Also, after were heading to Shane's apartment to play truth or dare, and if you don't want to answer the truth or do the dare, you have to take off an article of clothing."

"Okay, we'll start with cake."Malia says.

"Ash loves Dauntless chocolate."

"Okay." We head to the cake shop and order the cake. "We'll pick it up at around 6:30." I tell the clerk. She nods. "And last, decorations. I need to call Shane and Kalyn to help us with this. Its 6:00."I say.

"Shit!"

I quickly call them and they come rushing down to the Pit. "Decoration time!" Kalyn squeals. We get boxes and boxes of decorations and quickly set up. Shane and Stiles position the table and I'm the first one to set his present from me on it. Malia walks back with the cake, just as it hits 6:50. "I gotta go get Ash!" They all nod. "Don't forget to invite the entire compound!" And with that I run off to Ash's apartment.

** Ash's POV**

I've been sitting on the couch poking at a piece of Dauntless cake for an hour now. The door clicks and opens, and Talia steps in. I forget about the Dauntless cake and walk over to her. She kisses me, but pulls away after a minute. "Go get dressed." She says.

"And may I ask why? "

She smirks at me. "You'll find out. As much as I love seeing you shirtless, just go get dressed."

"Fine." I fake pout, and she laughs and pushes me into the bedroom. "Talia?" I ask.

She flips around."Yes?"

"Was that a tattoo on the back of your neck?"

"Yes, it is."

I smile. "Can I see it?"

She walks over to me and turns so her back is facing me. I move her hair aside to find an infinity symbol with the initials AB in the loops. "It- It's beautiful, Talia." She turns around and fits her mouth to mine. My hands find her waist easily, and her hands lay on my chest. I pull away and say, "I have to get dressed." She nods and leaves the room. I put on a black V-neck T-shirt and dark jeans. I slip on my shoes and Talia and I walk to the Pit. The lights are out. "Talia, why are the lights out?" I ask her.

"Maybe the power's out."She flips on the light. The Pit lights up, and nearly the entire compound yells, " Happy Birthday, Ash!"

"You did all this, Talia?"

"Wasn't just me." I give her a confused look and she points to where Kalyn, Shane, Malia, and Stiles stand. I take Talia's hand and we walk over to them. "Hey, happy birthday!" Kalyn squeals. "Kalyn, the screaming. Chill." I say. Kalyn and Talia both stare at me then burst out laughing. "What?" "That's exactly what I said to her yesterday at training." Talia says. I can't help but laugh. Shane smiles and waves. I wave him over.

"Hey dude."he says.

Talia hands me a black box about the size of my forearm. "Open it." I look at her curiously, but open the box to find a set of ten throwing knives. I move them aside to find... Talia's lucky knife. "Talia... Is this your lucky knife?" "Yeah. I wanted to give it to someone that I was lucky to have." I turn to her. "You really didn't have to do this." I tell her. "Yes, I did, Ash." I pull her in and kiss her. She smiles against the kiss and murmurs,"I love you, Asher." I pull away. "Did you just call me Asher?"

She giggles. "Thought I'd try it out."

Talia stops giggling and a fearful look spreads across her face. "I thought you were going to leave the slut, Asher." A voice behind me says, and I don't hesitate. I turn and swing a punch to their jaw, and I'm immediately kicked in the side by a different figure. I fall to the floor, and I'm kicked in the face. I cough blood, and I hear the sheer cry of none other than Talia. I find myself spring up, and grab Talia's lucky knife out of the box beside me. Peter stands a few feet away, a knife hovering Talia's throat. "No, Peter,please." Tears flood my eyes and drip down my cheeks. "Please!" A hand touches my shoulder, and I turn to see Four. I turn back to Peter. "Peter, stop! Don't do it!"

I grip the handle of the knife tightly. "Don't do it." I growl.

"And why wouldn't I?"

"Because..." I'm at a loss for words. Suddenly, Peter falls to the ground, a knife lodged in his back. "Because your dead." Tris pulls the knife out of him. "That's why you can't do it." Talia run ms over to me. I wrap her into a hug. Were both crying, and the entire compound has gone silent. "I thought I was going to lose you." I whisper. She looks up at me. "I can't afford that. It would kill me on the inside." I finish. She hugs me tighter and whispers, "I love you. Always." I let go of her to find blood on my arm. I look up at her, and her short is torn, and blood soaks it. I carry her bridal style to the infirmary. Christina sees me as I run in, takes Talia and runs into a room with a doctor at her tail. Everything is silent. Even though everyone looks like they are screaming and yelling and laughing and talking, I can't hear a thing. I run out of the infirmary when I regain my hearing. I run to the bottom of the Chasm. Its the only place I know to go. I see the paintings Talia and I painted on the chasm walls when we were 5, all the way to the one we did together. Before the Choosing Ceremony, we had painted our kiss. The paint was dry now, and I run my hand over the paint, stopping at where our lips met. My fingers ponder there for a moment, but slowly drift downward to our linked hands. A tear falls. I rush to the paint, grabbing the colors I need. I don't think. I just paint. I finish, and I realize I painted the time I was leaning over the chasm, and she told me she needed me. I paint the words 'I need you, as you need me' at the bottom of the painting in a deep red. Tears are streaming from my eyes now. I feel cold metal at the waistband of my jeans, and I realize that I still have Talia's lucky knife. I run my thumb over the inscription. I look at the other knives I brought down here, and one catches my eye. The inscription reads:

Ash,

I love you. Forever and always, if I'm dead or alive. No matter where I am or what I'm doing, my mind is always on you. I love you, don't ever forget this.

-Talia

I seem to control my breathing and stop crying, I tuck the knife in the the waistband of my jeans and walk to the tattoo parlor. "Hey, Tori."

"Hey, Ash. Happy birthday. Come for a tattoo?"

" Yeah, I want the initials TE over my heart."

"Alright, take off your shirt and I'll get started." I nod and swiftly slip off my shirt. She quickly does the tattoo and send me off. I slip my shirt back on and walk out. I walk to my apartment and play one of my favorite songs, Oh, Calamity by All Time Low. As it plays, I sing along.

_ When I was younger I was certain, _

_That I'd be fine without a queen,_

_ Just a king inside his castle,_

_ With an ocean in between,_

_ Now all I do is sit,_

_ And count the miles from you to me,_

_ Oh, Calamity..._

_ We get older by the hour,_

_ watch the changes from afar, _

_Keep forgetting to remember where we've been is who we are,_

_ Now I all I do is wonder, _

_Why we ever set the scene,_

_ Oh, Calamity... _

_Its such a shame that we play strangers,_

_ No act to change what we've become,_

_ Damn, its such a shame that we built a wreck out of me, _

_Oh, Calamity..._

_ Oh, Calamity... _

_I'll remember nights alone,_

_ And waking up to dial tones, _

_Always found my greatest moments,_

_ In the sound of your Hello's,_

_ Now I struggle to recall, _

_The reasons you would come to leave, _

_Oh, Calamity... _

_Its such a shame that we play strangers, _

_No act to change what we've become,_

_ Damn, its such a shame that we built a wreck out of me, _

_Oh,Calamity... _

_Oh, Calamity... _

_If I catch you on the corner, _

_Will you even know its me?_

_ Will I look familiar to you?_

_ Do you offer me a seat?_

_ Can we find a new beginning? _

_Do you turn the other cheek?_

_ Oh,_ _Calamity... _

_Its such a shame that we play strangers, _

_No act to change what we've become,_

_ Damn its such a shame that we play strangers,_

_ No act to change what we've become,_

_ Damn, its such a shame that we built a wreck out of me, _

_Oh, Calamity... _

_Oh, Calamity... _

_Oh,Calamity... _

_Come back to me..._

I turn my head to find Kalyn in the doorway, a camcorder in hand."You didn't just film that, did you?" She nods. "You have an amazing voice, Talia's gonna love it. By the way, she's awake." I spring out of my seat. "Really?" She nods and I rush to the infirmary. Christina walks over to me and puts a hand on my shoulder. "Room 10A. Be careful, she lost a lot of blood." I nod and walk to her room. I open the door cautiously. She sits on the bed, messing with a camcorder and smiling. Oh shit. Kalyn must have given her the camcorder. Talia looks up, and smiles at me. She waves me over. "Kalyn gave you the camcorder, huh."She nods. She runs a hand up my chest and stops at where the tattoo is. "Are you okay?" She asks.

"Yeah, just a new tattoo."

"Can I see it?" I nod and lift my shirt over my head. She just stares at it, her soft fingers tracing the letters. "Its amazing." I look at her, and she puts a hand on the back of my neck and pulls me closer so our lips meet. I kiss back almost immediately.

"I love you." I say against the kiss. She pulls away and wraps me in a hug. "I love you so much."

"I love you too. When are you getting outta this place?" A doctor walks in at that and says, "Talia,your free to go."

"Really?" Talia and I say in usion. He nods. I take her hand and we walk back to my room. "One thing,Ash."

"What is it?"

"Tomorrow, for my birthday, we stay in bed? Just you and me?"

I smile. "I couldn't ask for anything better."


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: I am terribly sorry I haven`t updated in forever. I have an idea for Chapter 11, and it will be coming as soon as possible. I promise. BTW,I know in the earlier chapters I said Ash`s real name was Asher, it`s Ashton. Sorry, peoples. Also, i am now going to call you my pansycakes. Byeeeeeeeee!**

Ash's POV

_ Ring,ring,ring_

Thats the sound that wakes me up. My phone. I look down at it and see the contact. Shane. I quickly answer. "Hey,Shane. What`s up?"

"Hey, so me, Kalyn, Malia, Stiles, Allison, Isaac, Aiden, and Lydia are all going to the beach today and wanted to know if you and Talia wanted to come." Allison, Isaac, Aiden, and Lydia are all friends of ours that are transfers.

"Uhh...I'll check with her and call you back."

"Alright man, see ya later."

"Bye."

I hang up. Talia's eyes flutter open, and she puts a hand on my bare chest. "Who was that?" She asks, yawning. "Shane. He wants to know if we wanted to go to the beach with the group."

"Sure. Sounds like fun." I smile and nod, giving her a quick kiss before I head off to take a shower. I shower quickly, and slip on a black V-neck and my swimming trunks. Talia knocks on the bathroom door, and I step out as she steps in, carrying a pile of clothes. I unplug my phone and text Shane back.

_ A- Hey buddy. Talia and I are in. What time are we meeting you?_

_S- 5:30. Don't be late, bro! _

_A- We won't._

Talia walks out of the bathroom, wearing a black low-cut T-shirt and dark blue denim shorts. I smile at her as she stuffs some things in a duffel bag. She looks at me and smiles in return. She quickly pulls up her hair into a high ponytail. "Let's go." She says. I nod, sling the duffel bag over one shoulder, and her over the other. "Ash! Put me down!" She yells as I run down the hallways of the compound to the tracks. "I will when we meet the others." I reply. She groans. We get to the tracks, and sure enough, everyone is there staring at me and Talia. I put Talia down. "Finally." She mutters.

"That hurts, Talia." I pat my chest. "That hurts right here."She laughs.

"The train is coming!" Allison yells, grabs Isaac's hand, and jumps. Malia and Stiles, Ethan and Lydia, Shane and Kalyn, and Talia and I soon follow.

We stay on the train for about an hour until we spot the beach. We all jump off. Its about 6:30 now, but no one seems to care. The girls strip into their swimsuits, as us guys just slip off our T-shirts. I spot Talia, fixing her ponytail. She is wearing a black string bikini. I sneak up behind her and grab her by the waist. She jumps and turns to face me. "Hey." She says, running a hand up my chest. I throw her over my shoulder and run toward the water. "Ash! Put me down! Ash!" She yells, laughing. "Hmm...let me think about it...no." I say. She hits my back. "That's not gonna work Talia." She groans. I reach the water and hold her out.

"Do you want to be dunked?" I ask.

"No." She squeaks.

"Fair enough." I bring her to me and kiss her. She smiles against the kiss. "Hey!" I whip around to see Sean and Kyla.

"Aren't you guys Abnegation?" I ask.

"Yeah, but everyone's asleep right now. Might as well have some fun!"

"Fun is considered self-indulgent."Talia mutters, now out of my embrace.

"How do you know?" Kyla asks, raising an eyebrow.

"My mom was Abnegation." She mutters again.

Kyla bursts out laughing. "You've got to be kidding me! Your mom, the Tris Eaton, the Dauntless prodigy, was Abnegation?" Kyla says, still laughing.

"Its not funny, its true!" Talia growls.

"Woah, bitch mode, Talia. Someone's in bitch mode." Kyla says, holding a hand up.

Sean and I stay silent, but I know, as much as I do, he wants to help. But, these girls can rip your eyes out if you mess with them. So we stay put and silent. Talia evens her breaths, and speaks again, "Its completely true."

"It can't be!"

"It is."Kyla starts laughing again.

"I told you, it wasn't funny." She snaps, and Kalyn and Shane run over.

"Kyla!" Kalyn screams. This snaps Kyla and Talia out of their staring contest. "Kalyn!" She screams, runs over to her, and engulfs her in a hug. Talia walks over to Malia, grumbling. I stand between Shane and Sean. "What a bitch." I mumble, hoping they didn't hear me. "Hey!" Sean yells. "That's my girlfriend your talking about!"_ heard me._

" I know!" I snap. "It's true!"

"I'm sorry some things are funny!"

"That wasn't funny, Sean! That was her family! The people she loves!"

He snorts. "Come on, Kyla. Let's go." Kyla glares at Talia, and Talia glares right back. "Okay." She takes Sean's hand, and they walk off. I walk to Talia and we sit on the beach, her head leaning on my shoulder. Something wet hits my shoulder, then another. I look at Talia. She's crying. I sit her up and wipe the tears from her cheeks.

"Talia, there's no reason to cry. She was being a bitch." I say, pulling her onto my lap. She snuggles into my chest. "I know," she says, sniffling. "Its just, we were good friends in Dauntless. But when she transferred, I didn't understand why. She was one of those true Dauntless, you know?" I nod." I just, don't know what happened to her. I'm losing everybody, Ash. And one day, I'll lose you. I still Don't understand why you even want me."

I look into her deep blue eyes. "Talia, you will never, ever, lose me. I love you, and you know that. Don't ever say that. I will always love you. Your unlike any girl in Dauntless. All the Dauntless girls have are the looks. You've got the personality, too. The personality that make this guy," I point to myself. "Love you."

She looks up at me, her eyes sparkling. "I love you, Ash."

"I love you, Talia."

"Always?"

"Always." She nods and kisses my cheek.

"Let's go." She whispers, yawning. "I'm tired." I nod in agreement and mimic her yawn. She laughs and slips her shirt and shorts back on, we seem to have dried off in the process of talking. I slip on my shirt and we jump on the train.

XxX

Talia and I lay in bed, just talking. "Ash?" She asks.

"Yes?"

"How did I get so lucky?" I laugh a little. She frowns. "I'm the one that's lucky, Talia. I got a brave, smart, and beautiful girl that I love with all my heart." She leans in and her lips brush mine. "I love you. Always." She whispers, her lips millimeters away from mine. "Always." I whisper back and connect our lips. Her arms snake around my neck, and my hands find her waist. I close the space between us and deepen the kiss. She pulls away, with a look of fear in her eye. "Talia, are you okay?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine. I'm just..." She trails off.

"Its okay, Talia. I understand. I'm fine with waiting." She kisses me, and snuggles into me, leaving the sheets down to her waist.

"What, am I your blanket now?" I ask, smiling.

"Yep," she says, popping the 'p'. "I need my Ash blanket." I laugh a little, and wrap her in my arms. She doesn't object. She smiles. "Always." She whispers, but I am to far gone to say anything back.


	11. Author's Noteeeee

Heeeeyy my pansycakes! Guess what today is! It is our "Love interest of Talia" "Dauntless-Born Initiate" and "Green-eyed beauty".ITS ASH'S BIRTHDAY! In real life tho. Happy birthday wishes to one of my personally favorite characters. And, Talia's birthday is tomorrow. I will make sure to update on either his or her birthday...SO, I LOVE YOU PANSYCAKES! -TheDauntlessTribute64 


	12. Another Author's Note

Hey,pansycakes. So I'm thinking of quitting this story. It is getting hard to wright ideas and I'm getting less and less views each chapter. I also want to know what you guys think, and I've only got 2 or 3 main people reviewing the story. So...What do you think I should do? Keep it? Delete it? If you would want me to keep it, IDEAS WOULD BE APPRECIATED SOO FREAKING MUCH. Alright, bye my pansycakesssss. 


	13. Chapter 13

*Talia's POV*

I walk around the Pit aimlessly. I don't know why I'm in such a bad mood, I just am. I look down at the red ends of my hair. I recently got the ends dyed following a tattoo of the Dauntless symbol on the small of my back. I sigh. I'm having a good life. I count to three.

_1.I'm with Ash._

_2.I have my best friends._

_3. My family is alive and well._

I kick a pebble on the Pit floor, and it skips into a hallway. "Awh, come back!" I whisper-yell and run for the pebble to kick it some more. I laugh a little to myself. I reach down and pick up the pebble. The cold rock sends a shiver down my spine. Suddenly, a bag is thrown over my head, two arms grip securely around each of my arms, and I am dragged. I don't know to where. And I, am terrified.

*The Next Morning*

*Ash's POV*

I open my eyes and reach over to the other side of the bed, hoping to find my amazing girlfriend there. Instead, I grab a handful of my sheets. I bolt up and get dressed, run out the door, and look everywhere around the Pit. I check a hallway.

There are two things in the hallway; a gray pebble, and...

Talia's necklace.

I scoop up the necklace and run to Tris and Four's apartment, tears streaming from my eyes. Maybe she just lost it, I think to myself. No, she told me she would never lose it. I think back to the day in the Chasm when we were 15.

_*Flashback*_

_Talia and I sit in the Chasm, her looking at the breaking waves hitting the hard surface of the rocks. I notice her twirling a necklace between her fingers. "Hey, cool necklace, where'd you get it?" She hasn't had a birthday party that year, she rarely does. But, she smiles and turns to me. "My parents gave it to me." She says flatly. I smile as she finishes her thought. "Its special to me. I would die, i mean literally, if I lost it."_

_*End of Flashback*_

The black wooden door on from of me opens abruptly, revealing Tris wearing a simple tank top and sweatpants and her blond hair pulled into a messy bun. "Hey Ash, what's wrong?" She asks, pulling me inside and sitting me on the couch. "Four!" She yells. "Get your lazy ass down here!"

"Hold up! Who's here? You only call me Four if your mad at me or someone else is around. Wait, what did I do?" Four yells from the other room.

Tris smirks. "Did you do the dishes?"

"Uh-"

"Exactly!" Four rushes in. "I'm sorry, Tris. I really am, you know I..." He trails off when he sees me. "Oh, I'm getting you for that, dear." He scowls at her. "Unlikely."Tris states, and turns to me. I've been silent this entire time. "So,"Tris starts, her and Four sitting on the couch opposite of me. Tris and Four's German Shepherd hops onto the couch I am sitting on a curls himself into a ball on my lap. I hold up Talia's necklace.

"Talia's missing. I've-" I start but Four interrupts me."Wait, how do you know she didn't just lose it?"

I take a breath. "Because she told me when we were 15 that she would never lose it. I've looked everywhere. I can't find her, but I found her necklace and a pebble side by side in a hallway."

"Did the hallway have cameras?" Four asks. I shake my head.

"It was one of the abandon hallways of the compound." Tris looks up with an eyebrow raised. "Ash, do you know anything about Talia's aptitude test results?" I shake my head again. "But I know who her administrator was."

"Who?" Tris asks.

"Natalie Prior," I say, my voice barely a whisper.

Tris stands up abruptly. "That's my mom. Ash, meet Four and I by the tracks at 8:00, bring a hand gun but keep it hidden. I nod. Tris runs into the bedroom. "Wait,"Four says. I turn to him. "Yeah?" He places a hand on my shoulder. "You love Talia,right?" I nod.

"More than anything."

"Good. I trust you, Ash. I trust that if we get her back, you'll protect her like I did Tris."

"Thank you, Four."

"Now go. Get some sleep and get ready for some action." I smile at him and run to my apartment. I collapse on my bed, and quickly drift off to sleep.

*Talia's POV*

I open my eyes to blue. Blue everywhere. My arms and legs are strapped down, as is my chest. "What? Where am I?" I ask, my voice strained.

" I prefer not to tell you that. But, I will tell you that we have been informed that you had aptitude for all five factions on your aptitude test. Even your mother, Beatrice, didn't get so many." An all too familiar voice says.

**_Jeanine._**

"Beatrice? My mothers name is Tris."

"Correction," she snaps. "Your mother changed her name to Tris when she left Abnegation, mainly because she wanted to remake herself."

"And what the hell do you want from me?" I growl.

She elevates me so I can see her and her lab assistants. I see a man with brown hair and green eyes, a woman with red hair and brown eyes, and... I glance at the last assistant who is watching me tensely.

"Uncle Caleb?" I ask. He looks up. "Hello, Talia."

"Shut it, Mr. Prior. As I was saying, all I want is answers. What makes Divergent so powerful? Why can they resist or manipulate serums? I don't understand. So my plan is simple, about a year of testing, and you will be executed." I clench my fists. "You sick bastard! You too, Caleb! What kind of guy wants his own niece dead? That is sick! You are all sick!" I scream. A man dressed in all black clamps a hand over my mouth. I look up at him to see green eyes that look almost familiar to Ash's. But they don't belong to him. They belong to Ash's worst fear.

**_Peter._**

"Thank you, Mr. Black. Now, would you and Mr. Prior take Ms. Eaton to her cell?" Peter nods and Caleb starts to unstrap me. They lift me up, I kick and scream but my kicks are unaimed and my screams are muffled.

"Shut up!" Caleb snaps as he and Peter shove me into a room. They slam the door behind me and a hear a faint locking sound. I look around the cell. It is black with a blue fluorescent light dangling from the ceiling. A bed with blue sheets sits in the corner of the room, as a chair and a bookshelf sits on the other wall. There is a closet filled with black clothing tinted with blue. I pull myself onto the bed, pulling my knees to my chest and burying my face into them, letting the sobs break free. "Be brave, Ten. Be brave." I whisper to myself. Only a year of this bullshit, then I die. Great plan, Jeanine. Great fucking plan. I hear the door get shoved open and Caleb appears at the doorway. He sets a tray of food on the bed in from of me. "Here's your dinner, experiments start at 6 tomorrow." I glare at him. "Thanks, asshole." He doesn't say anything, just leaves quietly. I eat the food quickly and change into black shorts and a blue tank top. I rub the back of my neck, which has beads of sweat forming at the humidity of the cell. I run my fingers over the tattoo, and then the Dauntless flames on the small of my back. "Dauntless is the only faction I will ever love." I whisper. I crawl into bed and drift into a nightmare filled sleep.

* Ash's POV, 7:50 that night.*

I wait for Tris and Four at the tracks. I'm nervous, but yet I'm excited to maybe know where Talia is. I hear the tracks start to shake, and lights appear far into the distance. As if on cue, Tris and Four come running up. "Train's here." I mutter and they nod. The train starts to glide past us and I sprint beside it, getting closer every second. I finally grab the handle of the tenth car and throw myself in, my feet slamming in the metal of the car. Tris and Four soon follow. "Will we ever get her back?" I ask them, tears stinging my eyes. I will not let them fall, I think to myself. Asher Black, you are selfless, you are brave. Yes, I am Divergent. I got Abnegation and Dauntless, but I guess no one thought that was a threat. Tris looks at me, concern rushing over her face. " I don't know, Ash. We can only hope for the best." She looks out of the car. "Time to jump." She stands and hops out of the car, and Four and I soon follow. We all sprint to Natalie's house. Tris knocks on the door, and it opens almost instantly. "Tris, Four! So nice to see you!"

"Hey mom, we have to talk to you, and by the way, this is Ash, Talia's boyfriend, and a good friend of ours." Tris says. I wave shyly.

"Okay, come on in." We walk inside and spot a little girl helping Andrew with dinner. "Oh, Beatrice-" Natalie starts, but Tris interrupts her. "It's Tris now."

"Okay, well Tris, this is your little sister, Amanda. She is 5. Amanda, could you come here?" Amanda looks at her and nods. She makes her way over and Natalie introduces us. "Amanda, this is your big sister, Tris, her husband, Four, and they're daughter's boyfriend, Ash." Amanda smiles and waves. Amanda has long blonde hair and blue-gray eyes, like Tris, but a few freckles spot her face and she is paler than Tris. "We need to talk in private." I say sternly and Natalie leads us to a room which looks to be Tris' old room. "You were Talia's aptitude test administrator, right Natalie?" Four asks, and she nods. "What were her Aptitude results?" She takes a deep breath.

"Dauntless, Abnegation, Erudite, Amity, and Candor." She whispers.

"Wait, that's all five factions." I say.

"She got aptitude for all five, but I put in the system that she got Dauntless. Why?"

"Because Talia's missing." Tris says. Natalie gasps. "Well, I don't know where she is. She could be in any faction, she could even still be I Dauntless." A tear falls from my eye. She could be anywhere. She could be past the fence. "Okay mom, thanks." Tris says and we leave. We jump on the train and head back to the compound.

*Page Break*

I jump on my bed, clutching Talia's necklace over my bare chest, right over my tattoo of her initials. I look at the slight bit of color on our wall. We repainted the picture I painted on my birthday. I think back to that day.

_*FlashBack*_

_Christina sees me as I run in, takes Talia and runs into a room with a doctor at her tail. Everything is silent. Even though everyone looks like they are screaming and yelling and laughing and talking, I can't hear a thing. I run out of the infirmary when I regain my hearing. I run to the bottom of the Chasm. Its the only place I know to go. I see the paintings Talia and I painted on the chasm walls when we were 5, all the way to the one we did together. Before the Choosing Ceremony, we had painted our kiss. The paint was dry now, and I run my hand over the paint, stopping at where our lips met. My fingers ponder there for a moment, but slowly drift downward to our linked hands. A tear falls. I rush to the paint, grabbing the colors I need. I don't think. I just paint. I finish, and I realize I painted the time I was leaning over the chasm, and she told me she needed me. I paint the words 'I need you, as you need me' at the bottom of the painting in a deep red. Tears are streaming from my eyes now. I feel cold metal at the waistband of my jeans, and I realize that I still have Talia's lucky knife. I run my thumb over the inscription. I look at the other knives I brought down here, and one catches my eye. The inscription reads:_

_Ash,_

_I love you. Forever and always, if I'm dead or alive. No matter where I am or what I'm doing, my mind is always on you. I love you, don't ever forget this._

_-Talia_

_*End Of Flashback*_

I glance a little to the side of the painting, where that certain knife is tacked up, the inscription still glimmering. A little away from that are our paintball guns. Talia's is red and black, and mine is dark blue and black. I sigh. This is to much to bear. I need her, I want her. I let my head fall back onto the pillow and fall into a deep sleep.


	14. Deletion Note GOOD BYE TALIA AND ASH

_**Hey, Pansycakes. So, I`m deleting this story. I`m just running out of ideas for it, I`ve gotten no reviews, Not many views, and it`s getting tiring. I might start a new story called "Divergent:Aubrey Black`s Story"It`s about Robert`s daughter Aubrey, and her Initiation. Soooooo, I might do that, but otherwise, Carrying The Flames is no more. No more Talia, no more Ash. It will be deleted May 21, 2014. (The day of my English SOL :P) Please review on this, it gives me something to know that people actually know that I`m deleting it.**_

_**Bye, Pansycakes.**_

_**(Oh, and I read The Fault In Our Stars, and ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT! So me and TheDauntlessDemigods4 might do a Divergent-TFIOS Crossover. But, Maaaaaaaayyyyyyyyyyyybbbbbbbbbbeeeeeeeeeee. Idk yet.)**_


	15. i MIGHT NOT BE DELETING IT ITS UP TO U

_**Okay, Pansycakes.**_

_**Here`s the deal. I`m gonna post one chapter very soon. If I reach a total of atleast 10 reviews on that chapter, guests included, I`ll keep it. If i don`t, goodbye on May 21.**_

_**Thank you for those who **__**have **__** reviewed on the previous chapters, it makes me feel really good just to get one review, but I haven't gotten that as much anymore.**_

_**So, I love you, my Pansycakes. **_

_**(P.S I`m having a debate on who I like more between Tobias in Divergent, and Augustus in TFIOS. They`re both awesome. BTW, I GOT A TOBIAS BOOKMARK AND I SWEAR TO GOD LIKE OMG LIKE IT IS THE MOST FABULOUS THING I HAVE EVER SEEN!)**_


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